Missing Pieces
by ncfan
Summary: Naruto hears things that don't add up.


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_Missing Pieces_

_Disclaimer: I own nothing._

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One night at the bar, Naruto tracks down the senseis—Asuma, Gai, Kurenai and Kakashi—at a bar and sits down with them.

The light is low and dull; the bar is full of merriment, so much so that no one seems to notice or care that there is a thirteen-year-old in a bar. The senseis certainly don't.

Naruto is tired of sitting alone in his apartment all night, every night, and he figured he'd go find someone he knew, and spend the evening with them whether they liked it or not. The senseis don't seem to care; Kurenai and Gai scoot over to make room for him between them, and Kakashi orders some soda and a bowl of red bean soup for him.

Asuma has had a few to drink; he's less than sober, though not particularly drunk. He's got his arm around Kurenai's waist; she doesn't really seem to care.

Somehow—Naruto's not sure how; he wasn't steering the conversation in that direction—the talk comes to his childhood.

Asuma laughs. "I remember. Jiraiya-sama had a hard time prying you out of Kakashi's arms, eh, Kakashi?"

Immediately, Naruto can tell the atmosphere in the room has grown considerably colder. Gai and Kurenai tense uncomfortably on either side of him; Kakashi's grip on his glass tightens considerably.

"Asuma…" Kakashi's voice grows low and uncharacteristically dangerous; Naruto flinches.

Asuma doesn't hear. "I mean, he was the first one who found you, after your parents…"

Kakashi's grip on his glass grows so tight that they ceramic glass shatters under the force of his grip; he doesn't even seem to notice the trickle of blood coming from shards of glass newly embedded in his palm. Kurenai chooses that moment to slap some ryo on the table and drag Asuma out of there.

"What about my parents?" Naruto demands of both Gai and Kakashi. But both refuse to say anything else.

.x.X.x.

Asuma's drunken revelations sparks a wave of curiosity in Naruto. They—Kakashi, Gai, Kurenai and Asuma—know about his parents; he knows they do.

Naruto has always wanted to know about his parents; it was always a dead end for him. No one seemed to know anything about his parents; Naruto never could find any record of them at all.

It's really not fair that a child should know nothing of their parents; even Lee, who was orphaned when he was a toddler, has pictures and mementos.

Naruto's first instinct is to go back to Asuma; he said something before, maybe he'll say something again.

But there is absolutely no luck. Someone, probably Kakashi, and probably none too kindly, has shut Asuma up, and he will say absolutely nothing to Naruto about the matter.

Kurenai's house is strangely reminiscent of the desert. It is empty, bright, and Spartan; the walls are painted a sandy color, and the only furnishings on the floor are tightly woven rugs imported from Sunagakure.

Kurenai is arranging rosemary in a glossy black vase. She is preoccupied, hurried, trying her best to seem unconcerned.

To Naruto, her aura practically _reeks_ of all the worst kinds of grief and pain.

"No, I did not know your parents." Naruto knows she's lying, he just doesn't know _why_. He doesn't know why they're all lying to him, and it's driving him insane.

"For the first few years of your life, Rin looked after you, and…" Kurenai breaks off with the air of someone who knows she's said too much. She bites her lips, staring straight ahead out the kitchen window.

Naruto frowns. _Another _mystery; just another to add to the growing list. "Who's Rin?"

Kurenai gently shoos him out of her house.

.x.X.x.

Gai is a great teller of old war stories. On a hot summer's afternoon, Naruto and Gai are sitting on a bench, both sweating from recent training, watching the progress of lazy woolen clouds across a blazing turquoise sky; somewhere, Naruto knows Team Ten are doing the same.

But there are other stories too, stories Naruto wants to hear. He wants to hear about his parents, hear about their deeds. For once, hearing of the Yondaime's achievements in battle against the Rock doesn't really do much for him.

Naruto's bright blue eyes, begging Gai silently, finally elicits something, though it isn't exactly what Naruto wanted to hear.

"You know, Kakashi wasn't sure about it at first but I think he warmed up to you pretty well while we were taking care of you; he'd hardly let you out of his sight."

The too-eager words spill helplessly from Naruto's lips. "Why'd you stop taking care of me? Why were you taking care of me in the first place?"

Gai slumps in his seat; Naruto fears he is about to be faced with a firewall again, that he is going to be blocked out.

"Nothing good lasts, Naruto-kun." Gai sighs. "And Kakashi…Kakashi was a good friend of your parents." And that is all Naruto can get out of him.

Kakashi. It all comes back to Kakashi. None of it makes sense, not without his input.

But Naruto can't find Kakashi to get him to tell him any of those missing things.

.x.X.x.

One day, while Naruto is out on his extended training trip with Jiraiya, Kakashi shows up where they're staying.

Jiraiya has gone into town to frequent the brothels and gather information; he's left Naruto on a rock in front of a creek. Naruto is staring into the whirling eddies, brooding. He's waiting for Jiraiya to come back so he can have it out with the old man for ditching him when he's supposed to be training him _again._

Then, Naruto looks up at the sound of light footfall, and Kakashi is standing beside him.

Kakashi does not bother giving any greeting or explaining why he's there. He gets down on his knees besides Naruto and pulls a battered old photograph out of his flak jacket, showing it to him.

"This," Kakashi explains, in a voice far too soft and far away, even for him, "is your mother. And your uncle."

Naruto sees two red-haired teenagers in the picture, but it is the girl he is immediately drawn to. She is, in his opinion, extraordinarily beautiful, with long scarlet hair falling well past her shoulders, fair skin, and a dazzling smile. The picture is old, and Naruto can't tell what color her eyes are, but Naruto frowns; he always supposed he'd look more like his mother. He supposes he must take after his father.

Kakashi presses the photo into Naruto's hands. "Keep it," he says simply.

Kakashi's leaving something out. "My dad," Naruto demands. "What about my dad?!"

Kakashi doesn't answer.


End file.
